Sealing apparatus



Oct. 13, 1931. I J SAUERBECK 1,827,618

SEALING APPARATUS Filed Oct. 5, 1928 INVEM'OR.

BY JOSEPH MSAUERBE K Patented Oct. 13, 1931 Josnrrr u. sanmncx, or nmvnmn, vraamn ammo APBLRATUS Application filed October 5, 1928. Serial llfo. 810,818.

This invention relates to sealing apparatus and more particularly to an apparatus for sealing ice cream containers which have been wrapped in paraflin paper or the like.

It is'becoming more and more the general practice in the dispensing of ice cream to pack the same in paper boxes or containers which are then wrapped in paraflin or waxed paper. Considerable difliculty has been experienced, however, in providing an apparatus which is capable of quickly and efiiciently sealing the paraffin wrapping without melting any of the ice cream contained within the package.

It is accordingly among the principal objects of the present invention to provide an apparatus which will not only seal the paraffin wrapper with ease and rapidity, but which will also render the wrapped package practically airtight.

A further object of the invention is the provision of an apparatus wherein the sealing of the waxed wrapper is performed by a plurality of electric heating elements automatically and in an expeditious manner.-

Another object of the invention is the provision of an apparatus wherein the heating elements are so arranged that while only a minimum of heat is applied to the wrapper the overlapping portions thereof are sufficiently united to form a sealed package.

A still further object of the invention is the provision of a sealing apparatus wherein the heating section is insulated from the cooling or setting section as well as from the entering section whereby to reduce to a minimum the transference of heat from the heating section to other parts of the apparatus.

Still another object is the provision of an apparatus of the character hereinabove set forth, the heating section of which is adj ustable to compensate for variations in the width of the wrapped containers.

Other objects relating to details and economies of construction and operation of the invention will appear more fully hereinafter.

The invention consists substantially in the combination, location, arrangement and relative location of parts, all as will be described more fully hereinafter, as shown in the accom an g drawings and as finally pointed out ih tlil appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is a top plan view of sealing apparatus constructed in accordance with this invention;

Figure 2 is a side elevational view thereof; Figure 3 is a transverse section taken on the line 3-3 of Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a horizontal section taken on the line 4-4 of Figure 2; and

Figure 5 is a transverse section taken on the line 55 of Figure 2.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, it will be seen that the apparatus con-- a section 12 through which the sealed package is removed from'the intermediate sealing section. As appears quite clearly in the drawings each of these sections 10, 11 and 12 is of substantially channel or trou h-like shape, the sections Being so arran with respect to each other that they provide a substantially continuously extending trou h through which the wrapped packages may advanced one after anot er.

The sections 10 and 12, which are arranged at either side of the sealing section 11 of the a paratus, are immovably supported in posltion by the supports 13. In order to facllitate feeding the packages into the section 10 the ends of the side walls 14 thereof are outwardly curved, as at 15, to provide a flared entrance. A flared exit is similarly rovided in the section 12 by curving outwa y, as at 16, the ends of the side walls 17 of the section 12.

Disposed between and in longitudinal alignment'with the sections 10 and 12 of the apparatus is a central channel shaped member 18 of somewhat greater depth and width but of considerably less length than the sections 10 and 12. Supported upon the base 19 of the channel member 18 by the members 20 is a substantially flat heating plate 21 the upper surface of which lies in the horizontal plane of the bottoms of the sections 10 and 12. As appears' most clearly in Figures 1 and 4, this heating plate 21 is of greater Width than the effective width of the sections and 12. Operatively associated with this horizontally disposed heatin plate 21 are a pair of vertically arranged side heating plates 22 the lower edges of which rest upon the upper surface of the plate 21. The vertical side plates 22 are maintained in substantial parallelism by bolts or studs 23 suitably secured thereto and projecting outwardly therefrom and through suitable openings provided in the side walls 24 of the channel member 18. The outer ends of these bolts are threaded for reception of nuts 25 adapted to bear against the outer faces of the side Walls 24 of the member 18. Compression springs 26, surrounding each'bolt, are interposed between the outer face of each side eating plate 22 and the inner face of adJacent side wall 24 of the member 18, thereby providing means for yieldingly supporting the side heating plates in positipn. By adjusting the nuts 25, upon the threaded ends of the bolts 23, the side heating plates may be separated a greater or less distance apart to section 11 and from the latter into the sec-' tion 12, it is preferable to curve the proximate the minimum amount of heat which is required to seal the wrapper and to this end means are provided for effectually precluding the transference of heat from the heating section 11 to either of the sections 10 or 12 of the apparatus. Thisobjective is attained in the following manner.

It will be observed that the ends of the sections' 10, 11 and 12 of the apparatus are secured together in fixed spaced relation by a plurality of substantially Z-shaped brackets 27, each branch 28 of which is secured to the outer face-of the intermediate member 18 by the nut 25, while the branch 29 thereof is secured to the side wall of the outer section of the apparatus by the bolt 30. Each bracket 27 is insulated against the transference of heat from the heating section of the appara-,

ms to the other sections thereof by the inter position of suitable non-heat conductive material 31 between the ends thereof and the parts of the apparatus to which said ends are secured. 4

It is believed that from the foregoing the operation of the apparatus will be apparent. The ice cream containers suitably wrapped in parafiin or Waxed paper, designated in the drawings by letter a, are fed through the section 10 of the apparatus one after another, each succeeding package moving the preceding one along until the first package is advanced into position between the side heating plates 22. Due to the action of the compression springs upon these plates the wrapped packages are subjected to a slight degree of pressure with the result that, when the paraffin or Wax melts due to the heat in the plates 21 and 22, the overlying flaps of the wrapper become fused'or united together.

Inasmuch as the wrapped containers are being continuously advanced through the apparatus the container which has been treated as just described is moved into the section 12 of the apparatus. This latter section being considerably cooler than the heating section, due to the fact that it is heat-insulated there- 'from, serves to set the melted paraflin thereby causing the contiguous heated portions of the wrapper to adhere to each other and so seal the container. Q

It will be understood, of course, that various changes may be made from time to to time in the construction of the apparatus without departing from the spirit or principles of the invention, and it is intended therefore to claim the invention broadly as well as specifically as indicated in the'appended claims.

What is claimed as new and useful is:

1. In a sealing apparatus of the'character described, in combination, a pair of longitudinally alined trough members constituting respectively the entering and discharge ends of the apparatus, a channel member arranged intermediate said trough members and in longitudinal alinement therewith, said channel member being of greater depth and width but considerably less length than either of said trough members, a horizontal heating plate overlying the bottom of said channel .member, a pair of vertical side heating plates extending above said horizontally arranged plate, a plurality of bolts secured to said side heating plates and projecting through the side walls of said'channel member, springs interposed between said walls and plates and surrounding said bolts for urging said plates inwardly and toward each other, and means for limiting the inward movement 'of said plates.

2. In a sealing apparatus of the character described, in combination, a pair of longitudinally alined trough members constituting respectively the entering and discharge ends of the apparatus, a channel member arranged intermediate said trough members and in longitudinal alinement therewith, said channel member being of greater depth and width than either of said trough members, a plurality of side and bottom electrical heating plates arranged within said channel member and forming a heating section having a crosssection corresponding to that of said trough members, means for resiliently urging said plates toward each other, a plurality of bracket members extending between the proximate ends of said trough and channel members for securing the same together, and heat insulating means interposed between said bracket members and said trough and channel members for effectually precluding the transferrence of heat from said heating section to said trough members.

3. In a sealing apparatus of the character described, in combination, a trough member having a flared entrance, a channel member positioned at the discharge end of said trough, said channel member being of greater depth and Width than said trough member, a plurality of side and bottom electrical heating plates disposed Within said channel member and forming a channeled heating section of a depth and width substantially equal to that of said trough member, a plurality of substantially Z-shaped brackets having the opposite branches thereof respectively secured to the side walls of said channel and trough members whereby the latter are rigidly joined together, heat insulating material interposed between each of said branches and the part to which it is secured, guide bolts respectively secured to each side plate'projecting through the proximate side wall of the channel member and one branch of the bracket, and spring means interposed between each side late and channel member side wall for urging the former away from the latter.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto affixed my signature.

JOSEPH M. SAUERBECK. 

